The present invention is directed towards an electromechanical circuit breaker, and more particularly, an electromechanical circuit breaker which is particularly useful in plugs adapted to engage wall-mounted receptacles.
It has become increasingly common to utilize ground fault interrupter circuits in household appliances to protect against hazardous electric shock to the consumer. Such ground fault circuits are particularly important in connection with electrically powered appliances operated around water, such as pressurized water sprayers and appliances utilized in the bathroom.
An integral part of a ground fault interrupter circuit is an electromechanical circuit breaker which interrupts the application of electric power to the load whenever a fault condition is detected. When such a circuit breaker is used in connection with a household appliance, it is particularly important that the circuit breaker be small, inexpensive, simple, and reliable. The use of a compact circuit breaker is particularly important when it is mounted in a standard wall plug holding the male plug blades which fit into a standard female wall receptacle.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved ground fault interrupter which includes the foregoing important features.
The present invention is also directed towards a modular circuit breaker design which can be tested prior to being installed into a housing or other enclosure.
While the circuit breaker of the present invention is particularly useful in connection with ground fault interrupter circuits housed in a wall-mounted plug of an electrical appliance, the present invention is not limited to such applications.